1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to scanning using scanners and multi-function devices that are connected to a host computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, there are any number of conventional devices which can generate scanned images from original documents. These conventional devices include dedicated scanners and more complicated multi-function devices. These multi-function devices not only include scanning functions, but also include black and white and/or color printing functions, facsimile transmission and reception functions, and black and white and/or color copying functions.
Both dedicated scanners and multi-function devices are available in a large range of prices and functionalities. Generally, simple, lower-end scanners and multi-function devices are able to generate scanned images from original documents using a host computer that executes a scanning system, manager or routine that “pulls” the scanned image from the scanner by supplying all of the control signals to the scanner and performing one or more of the image processing functions at the host computer. In this case, the control system and the memory requirements for the lower-end scanner or multi-function device can be minimized. This allows the lower-end scanners and multi-function devices to be competitively priced.
In contrast, higher-end scanners and multi-function devices are able to scan images using control signals input directly at the control panel of the scanner or multi-function device. In this case, the higher-end scanner or multi-function device is able to “push” a scanned image to any selected destination selected from a variety of predefined destinations. In this case, the higher-end scanner or multi-function device does not need to rely on any of the memory or data processing capabilities of a host computer. Accordingly, in order to be able to “push” a scanned image directly to a selected destination, the higher-end scanner or multi-function device usually performs all of the image processing and image data storing functions locally. This requires a much more sophisticated control system and significantly larger amounts of memory be provided at the higher-end scanner or multi-function device.